North Korea confirmed the launch of a Hwasong-12 “intermediate-range ballistic missile,” the North’s first test of such a powerful weapon since 2017, state media reported on Monday.

Seoul’s military said it had detected the launch of an intermediate-range ballistic missile on Sunday, the seventh weapons test conducted by Pyongyang in January.

North Korea, which had not tested so many missiles in a month before, threatened last week to abandon a nearly five-year moratorium on its own tests of long-range and nuclear weapons, accusing the U.S. of “hostile” policy of forcing its hands.

“The evaluation test launch of the Hwaseong-12 surface-to-surface medium- and long-range ballistic missile took place on Sunday,” the official KCNA news agency said.

The KCNA news agency added that the test “confirmed the accuracy, safety and effectiveness of the operation of the Hwaseong-12 weapon system under production”.

To ensure the safety of neighboring countries, the test was carried out using a “highest-angle launch system” with a camera on the warhead that takes pictures in space, KCNA said.

As peace talks with Washington stalled, North Korea doubled down on leader Kim Jong Un’s vow to modernize the regime’s armed forces, demonstrating Pyongyang’s military might despite international sanctions.

South Korea said on Sunday that North Korea appeared to be following a “similar pattern” to 2017 — when tensions on the peninsula last reached a breaking point — warning Pyongyang could soon restart nuclear and intercontinental missile tests.

Pyongyang last tested an intermediate-range missile, the Hwasong-12, in 2017, which analysts said at the time was powerful enough to bring the U.S. territory of Guam into range.

The flurry of launches in 2022 comes at a delicate time in the region, with China, Kim’s only major ally, hosting the Winter Olympics next month and South Korea gearing up for March’s presidential election.

Complete News Source : Hindustan Times